Sister-in-law's braised grass carp with galangal

(NLDO) - The first time I ate braised grass carp with galangal was more than ten years ago, when I followed my lover, now my husband, to his hometown to celebrate Tet and meet his family.

My mother-in-law passed away early. There were only two sisters in the family. She had her own family and lived near the house my mother-in-law left behind. A month before, when she heard her younger brother announce that he was bringing his girlfriend home to meet the family, she spent many days cleaning up my mother's house. She changed the blankets and mattress. She chose a thick, multi-layered cotton blanket because she was worried that I, from the South, would not be used to the cold weather in the North. She prepared many things but did not prepare a kitchen. She said, "Come in and eat, I don't have to cook."

I remember that day was the first night of the new year. I followed my husband to wish his relatives a happy new year, and when I got home it was already dark. It was cold. As soon as I pushed the door open, there was a covered basket on the table. Inside was braised grass carp with galangal, pickled cabbage with chili and fish sauce, sour fish soup and still-hot white rice.

Braised grass carp with galangal in my family's meal

I had just opened the basket lid when she heard her voice outside the door: "Eat while it's hot. Why did you walk so far? Aren't you cold and hungry?" With that, she jumped on her bike and sped off, her voice still echoing: "I'm going home to feed the buffalo, or he'll break into the barn."

It was the first time I knew galangal was used to cook fish, so I was not used to the smell. The first few bites of rice, I only ate pickled cabbage dipped in fish sauce. My husband encouraged me, "Just try a little, then slowly, the next meal will be delicious." Actually, I did not need the next meal, from the third bite, I could feel the fatty taste, the firm fish meat. The fish bones had been cooked on the fire for too long, so they were soft and melted.

My husband told me that people here often braise grass carp for Tet. Wealthy families would buy large fish weighing 5-6 kilos. The fish is braised with pork belly. Braised over and over again. The fish is well-seasoned. The meat is firm. The bones are soft. To make the braised fish more delicious, some people lightly fry both sides or grill it over hot coals until it is charred. That year, my sister-in-law's family was not very wealthy, but the piece of fish she brought over on the first day of Tet, from the spine to the belly skin, was almost a hand's length.

As soon as the meal was finished, I saw my sister standing at the door, saying, "Leave the dishes and chopsticks, I'll take them home to wash." My sister asked if the fish was tasty. While I was praising it, my husband commented that it was a bit too sweet. My sister explained that before I returned, she asked a few people who had been to the South, and many said that everything there was sweet. People there couldn't stand the cold. Some even had to prepare a charcoal stove for their daughter-in-law to keep warm... My sister was worried that her future sister-in-law wouldn't be used to the weather and food in the countryside, so when she braised the grass carp, she added more sugar, something she had never done before.

I remember, that year I had just returned from a business trip to Truong Sa for nearly a month. My body was sunburned, my face was dark, while my husband was praised as "the most handsome man in the village". We were like a mismatched couple. My sister-in-law always explained to everyone "she just came back from a trip to the islands", implying "this ugliness is temporary, he is usually handsome".

I spent more than a week celebrating Tet in my future husband's hometown, but I did not feel strange at all, even though there were dishes I tried for the first time, people I met for the first time, or dialects I had to ask about several times to understand... all thanks to her.

My sister-in-law - a rural woman, accustomed to the fields and gardens all year round, never once leaving the village but meticulous in every little detail, like adding more sugar to the pot of braised fish to make it easier for me to eat, helped me believe that I had chosen the people I loved for my life.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ban-doc/cuoc-thi-viet-huong-vi-tet-ca-tram-kho-rieng-cua-chi-chong-20230129110533466.htm